SK Executives Travel Across Europe and Asia to Promote '2030 Busan World Expo' Bid

SK Vice Chairman Jang Dong-hyun Departs for Croatia on 19th
Requests Support for Kazakhstan, Estonia, and Lithuania Expo

Jang Dong-hyun, Chairman of the Communication Committee of SK Supex Council and Vice Chairman of SK Inc. (left in the photo), met with Kairbek Uskenbayev, Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development, in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, on the 13th to request support for hosting the 2030 Busan Expo and discuss cooperation plans between the two countries, followed by taking a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] SK Group executives are actively campaigning across Europe and Asia to attract the '2030 Busan World Expo'.

According to SK on the 19th, Vice Chairman Jang departed for Croatia on the same day to promote the Busan Expo bid. On the 21st, he plans to meet with Croatian government officials to request support for Busan and discuss ways to establish cooperation models between the two governments and businesses.

Since the 12th, Vice Chairman Jang has visited Kazakhstan, Estonia, and Lithuania over four nights and five days, meeting key figures to appeal for support for hosting the Busan Expo.

Vice Chairman Jang stated, "We are preparing the Busan Expo to be a platform that contemplates and discusses solutions to various challenges humanity faces and presents a better future," urging full support.

He also discussed ways to build cooperation models necessary for pursuing sustainable growth with the visited countries in connection with the purpose of hosting the Busan Expo. He proposed creating cooperation cases in SK’s core business areas such as the green sector, bio, information and communication technology (ICT) and artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and materials.

On the 13th, in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, he met with Kairbek Uskenbayev, Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development, to discuss building educational and medical infrastructure for balanced growth and ways to activate green energy.

On the 14th, in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, he met with government officials including Kristjan J?rvan, Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology, exchanging views on how Estonia, strong in the ICT field, and SK can utilize information and communication technology to advance e-government and defense/security systems or create various testbed cases.

On the 15th, in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, he met with senior officials including Giedr? Bal?i?nait?, Chief of Staff, Au?rin? Armonait?, Minister of Economy and Innovation, and Simonas Gentvilas, Minister of Environment, to broadly discuss cooperation plans in management to reduce carbon emissions using eco-friendly and renewable energy and in the bio sector.

An SK official said, "Officials from the visited countries showed deep consensus on the Busan Expo’s agenda of nature, sustainable living, and technology for humanity, as well as cooperation methods for mutual growth between the two countries," adding, "It was particularly encouraging that Korea was evaluated as a competitive candidate country."

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Matsumoto Masayoshi, Chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation of Japan

Meanwhile, SK Group has mobilized all its capabilities, organizing a World Expo Task Force (TF) after Chairman Chey Tae-won took on the role of private sector chairman supporting the Expo bid, with top executives conducting Expo promotion activities on the global stage.

In June, Chairman Chey attended the second competitive presentation at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) General Assembly in Paris, France, promoting the Busan Expo by meeting with BIE Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes and ambassadors from various countries. On the 15th and 16th, he also held meetings with key figures from the Japan International Exhibitions Organization, including Masayoshi Matsumoto, Vice Chairman of the '2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo' Promotion Committee.

In July, Cho Dae-sik, Chairman of the SK Supex Council, visited Fiji, where the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Summit was held, meeting with Surangel Whipps Jr., President of Palau, and Siaosi Sovaleni, Prime Minister of Tonga, and requested support for Busan from government officials of Tuvalu, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and the Marshall Islands.

SK Innovation Vice Chairman Kim Jun and SK Square, Telecom, and Hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho met last month with Waldemar Buda, Minister of Economic Development and Technology of Poland, and Surangel Whipps Jr., President of Palau, respectively, requesting support for Busan on site.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.